Stuart, STS found not guilty in teen's death

LEBANON - A prominent town business owner and his company have been found not guilty of manslaughter in the death of a teenage Sanford boy who was struck while skateboarding on a Sanford street in July 2012.

Mark Stuart, 53, the president of Stuart, Torno and Stuart, Inc., and his company had been charged in the death of 15-year-old Cory Cabana, who was skateboarding across Lebanon Street near the intersection of Nason Street on July 13, 2012, when he collided with a heavy equipment dump truck driven by Stuart.

The prosecution had sought to prove Stuart and his company were guilty of manslaughter because at the time of the accident the truck’s inspection sticker was not up to date and that faulty brakes had – at least in part – been to blame for his inability to stop the truck in time to avoid the collision.

Sanford Police performed a forensic study of the vehicle Stuart was driving and concluded the brakes were inferior at the time of the accident.

York County Superior Court Justice John O’Neil, who presided over the bench trial, rendered his decision this morning in York County Superior Court.

The defense had contended that even with perfect brakes, the accident was unavoidable and that Cabana was wearing ear buds and did not look up as he entered the intersection.

A family member contacted by The Lebanon Voice declined comment today.

Stuart was also unavailable for comment.

A civil case in the matter has already been concluded.